RADICAL

Radical

In chemistry, a radical is an atom, molecule, or ion that has unpaired valence electrons or an open electron shell, and therefore may be seen as having one or more "dangling" covalent bonds.

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radical

Noun

  1. A member of the most progressive wing of the Liberal Party; someone favouring social reform (but generally stopping short of socialism).
  2. A member of an influential, centrist political party favouring moderate social reform, a republican constitution, and secular politics.
  3. A person with radical opinions.
  4. A root (of a number or quantity).
  5. In logographic writing systems as the Chinese writing system, the portion of a character (if any) that provides an indication of its meaning, as opposed to phonetic.
  6. In Semitic languages, any one of the set of consonants (typically three) that make up a root.
  7. A group of atoms, joined by covalent bonds, that take part in reactions as a single unit.
  8. A free radical.

Adjective

  1. Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter.
    His beliefs are radical.
  2. Pertaining to a root .
  3. Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something.
  4. Thoroughgoing.
    The spread of the cancer required radical surgery, and the entire organ was removed.
  5. Of or pertaining to the root of a word.
  6. Produced using the root of the tongue.
  7. Involving free radicals.
  8. Relating to a radix or mathematical root.
    a radical quantity; a radical sign
  9. Excellent; awesome.
    That was a radical jump!


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: radical
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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